Pensioners pay for digital revolution
The UK Culture secretary has just announced that the expansion of the country's broadband service will be paid for with a 50p per month levy on home phone lines.
Whilst that may seem like small potatoes to a household with a digital home hub but pensioners who are least likely to make heavy bandwidth demands - if they have internet access at all (I can think of plenty that I know personally) are proportionally going to have to contribute more than anybody.
This looks like just another skimming poll tax, albeit small. If the government really believes in a market economy (as their neo-Thatcherite leadership have continued to ram down our throats on the Iron Lady's behalf) then the finance for this infrastructure development should come from the companies who have been profiting from the frequently abysmal service they have been providing.
Whilst that may seem like small potatoes to a household with a digital home hub but pensioners who are least likely to make heavy bandwidth demands - if they have internet access at all (I can think of plenty that I know personally) are proportionally going to have to contribute more than anybody.
This looks like just another skimming poll tax, albeit small. If the government really believes in a market economy (as their neo-Thatcherite leadership have continued to ram down our throats on the Iron Lady's behalf) then the finance for this infrastructure development should come from the companies who have been profiting from the frequently abysmal service they have been providing.
Labels: broadband, Pensioners
posted by flamesong at
4:18 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home